Greetings to you! How are you today? Hope you are doing well in the Winter Wonderland that is Minnesota. Last week we were blessed to have multiple days that were colder than Antarctica. This week we’ve gotten more snowfall than many states get in an entire year. In spite of the cold conditions that give us the reputation as the Land of 10,000 Frozen Lakes, we are a hearty people that bravely endures the chilly weather. We’re accustomed to bundling up with hats and gloves and coats and boots and drinking warm beverages to keep us going. We do these things for survival, to be sure, but also to show those living in warmer climates that it is possible to joyfully make it through these challenging circumstances. All we need is a little bit of prudence and a lot of God’s Grace.
According to Punxsutawney Phil - the pleasantly plump little groundhog from Pennsylvania with a penchant for predicting the weather- he did not see his shadow and he therefore anticipates a shorter winter. Whether that is true or not in the midst of the blustery and snowy and even sub-zero days we can take a cue from an Old Testament Book and glorify the Lord. Specifically, in the Book of the Prophet Daniel we read about three young men of the Hebrew faith tradition who were cruelly thrown into a blazing fire by the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar. Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego as they were known to the King or Hannania, Mishael, Azaria to Jewish believers, refused to worship false gods and as a punishment were tossed into an oven that was exceptionally hot. However, the Lord protected those three men and in their gratitude they adored Him from within the flames.
You might justifiably be wondering how this relates to Minnesnowta and our wintry weather since fire and ice are typically thought of as opposites of one another. Within their litany of praises the three young men declared, “Fire and heat, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. Cold and chill, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. Dew and rain, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. Frost and chill, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. Hoarfrost and snow, bless the Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever” (Daniel 3:66-70). Their words are a good reminder for us to praise the Lord at all times, whether we’re experiencing the hot hot days of summer or the cold cold days of winter. While complaining about the cold or windchill or the snow or shoveling is a very human action it ought not be our only way to approach these days. With the eyes of faith we can actually have a deeper appreciation for the Winter Wonderland that the Lord has created in the hope that we will one day experience the warm embrace of His Love in Heaven. Until that day stay warm and continue to praise and exalt the Lord above all now and forever.
